Tag Archives: music

Jonathan Stuchbery: Diapente’s concert Time’s Eldest Son on the 400th Anniversary of John Dowland’s passing

Posted on February 7, 2026 by barczablog

On February 20th, 1626 English lutenist and composer John Dowland died in London, leaving behind a legacy that brought him fame across Europe, and left him as one of the most recognizable names in renaissance music to this day. Jonathan … Continue reading →

Posted in Interviews, Music and musicology | Tagged Alexander Cappellazzo, Benjamin Britten, classical-music, Diapente Renaissance Vocal Quintet, Elizabeth I, Felix Deak, guitar, interview, Jane Fingler, John Dowland, Jonathan Stuchbery, Martin Gomes, music, Peter Koniers, Renaissance Music, Sting, Sylvain Bergeron, Time's Eldest Son | Leave a comment

Opera Salon Series: Romanticism & Bel Canto

Posted on February 1, 2026 by barczablog

Today I attended a Voicebox: Opera in Concert Opera Salon, highlighting Romanticism & Bel Canto. I want to see any concert or presentation that offers us a new way to offer opera and to find an audience. We’ve seen arias … Continue reading →

Posted in Opera, Reviews | Tagged Alexander Cappellazzo, bel canto, Cassandra Amorim, classical-music, Diana Rockwell, Edward Jackman Centre, Erich Wolfgang Korngold, Evan Korbut, Gaetano Donizetti, Giacomo Meyerbeer, Giuseppe Verdi, Guillermo Silva-Marin, Henry Ingram, Holly Chaplin, Jules Massenet, Justin Welsh, Michael William Balfe, music, opera, Romanticism, Vincenzo Bellini, Voicebox Opera in Concert | Leave a comment

Tafelmusik Messiah sounds new through the drama of live performance

Posted on December 20, 2025 by barczablog

While there’s something comforting in being able to return to a classic text year after year, I always hope to find ways to make it a fresh experience. Tafelmusik’s first 2025 Messiah on Thursday December 18th at Koerner Hall had … Continue reading →

Posted in Music and musicology, Reviews | Tagged Baroque, Benjamin Done, classical-music, George Frideric Handel, Handel, Ivars Taurins, Jonathan Woody, Kathryn James Adduci, Koerner Hall, Krisztina Szabó, Massey Hall, Messiah, music, Nicholas Scott, opera, Singalong, Stefanie True, Tafelmusik Baroque Orchestra, Tafelmusik Chamber Choir | 2 Comments

Voicebox Opera in Concert’s Canadian premiere of Richard Coeur-de-Lion

Posted on November 16, 2025 by barczablog

Today I witnessed the Canadian premiere of André Grétry’s Richard Coeur-de-Lion, presented by Voicebox: Opera in Concert at the Jeanne Lamon Hall. Colin Ainsworth was singing the title role, but was indisposed, courageously singing the role but often dropping to … Continue reading →

Posted in Opera, Reviews | Tagged Alice Macgregor, André Grétry, classical-music, Colin Ainsworth, Diane Loeb, Fidelio, Guillermo Silva-Marin, Jeanne Lamon Hall, Madeline Cooper, music, Nicole Katerberg, Opera in Concert Chorus, rescue opera, Richard Coeur-de-Lion, Robert Cooper, Suzy Smith, Taylor Gibbs, Voicebox Opera in Concert, Yannik Gosselin | Leave a comment

Kyle and Corey reflect on the Lion-hearted King and the operas telling their stories

Posted on November 4, 2025 by barczablog

Kyle & Corey, as in Kyle Derek Mcdonald and Corey Arnold are the two creators of The Lion Heart, an opera being presented in concert in Ottawa November 15-16, one of several things they’re doing. I wanted to ask Kyle … Continue reading →

Posted in Dance, theatre & musicals, Interviews, Opera | Tagged classical-music, Corey Arnold, Ethandun, Kyle Derek McDonald, Kyle McDonald, Mathew Li, music, Philip Klaassen, Possession, Richard I, Richard Wagner, Samuel Andreyev, Scott Thompson, The Lion Heart, theatre, William G. Carpenter | Leave a comment

Superb Orfeo revival

Posted on October 13, 2025 by barczablog

I was delighted by the Canadian Opera Company revival of Gluck’s Orfeo ed Euridice Saturday at the Four Seasons Centre. Although I thought I liked it well enough when I saw it in 2011 I never expected the gushing tears … Continue reading →

Posted in Opera, Reviews | Tagged Anna-Sophie Neher, Bernard Labadie, Canadian Opera Company, Catherine St-Arnaud, Christoph Willibald Gluck, Christophe Gayra, classical-music, Four Seasons Centre, Iestyn Davies, music, opera, Orfeo ed Euridice, Ranieri de' Calzabigi, reform opera, review, Robert Carsen, Sandra Horst | Leave a comment

William Shookhoff discusses political operas: Menotti’s The Consul from Opera By Request

Posted on October 10, 2025 by barczablog

Opera by Request will be presenting Giancarlo Menotti’s The Consul, an opera premiered in 1950 during the Red Scare, a time with significant parallels to our own. I asked William (Bill) Shookhoff, the Artistic Director of OBR, about the project. … Continue reading →

Posted in Interviews, Opera, Politics, Press Releases and Announcements | Tagged Brigitte Bogar, Brittany Stewart, College Street United Church, Giancarlo Menotti, Human Rights organizations, Joshua Read, Julia MacVicar, Karina Bray, Kenneth Baker, Lucas Kuipers, Monica Zerbe, music, opera, Opera by Request, Politics, Red Scare, Sebastien Belcourt, Taylor Gibbs, The Consul, William Shookhoff | Leave a comment

COC’s highly original Roméo et Juliette

Posted on October 6, 2025 by barczablog

It might be the best-known of all Shakespeare stories, the star-crossed lovers, dying young for love. Romeo and Juliet becomes Roméo et Juliette when a French composer such as Charles Gounod (1867) is telling the story in music. The rental … Continue reading →

Posted in Opera, Reviews | Tagged Alex Hetherington, Amy Lane, Canadian Opera Company, Charles Gounod, Gordon Bintner, Jules Barbier, Kseniia Proshina, Megan Latham, Michel Carré, music, opera, Owen McCausland, Robert Lepage, Robert Pomakov, Roméo et Juliette, Romeo and Juliet, Sandra Horst, Stephen Costello, surtitles, theatre, Yves Abel | 2 Comments

Scarborough Philharmonic Voyages

Posted on October 4, 2025 by barczablog

For a little while I was able to go far away from the world, as Scarborough Philharmonic Orchestra helped me & the enthusiastic audience escape at their Friday October 3rd season opener, a concert titled “Voyages”. Escapism works for me, … Continue reading →

Posted in Music and musicology, Reviews | Tagged classical-music, Conrad Chow, Elizabeth Raum, Max Bruch, Michael Jones, music, Nicolai Rimsky-Korsakov, Ronald Royer, Scarborough Philharmonic Orchestra, University of Toronto Schools, UTS | Leave a comment

Holly Chaplin and Ryan Hofman talk about their upcoming La Boheme On Tap

Posted on September 12, 2025 by barczablog

La Boheme is being presented at the Redwood Theatre on Friday September19th 8:00 p.m., a co-production with The Redwood Theatre including a silent auction in support of Daily Bread Food Bank. I talked to Holly Chaplin who sings the starring … Continue reading →

Posted in Interviews, Opera | Tagged Canadian Opera Company, classical-music, Elmwood Spa, genre, Giacomo Puccini, Holly Chaplin, La boheme, La Boheme On Tap, Massey Hall, Moonstruck, music, National Ballet of Canada, opera, Opera Revue, Puccini, Redwood Theatre, Ryan Hofman, SOLO, Southern Ontario Lyric Opera, theatre, Toronto Symphony Orchestra | Leave a comment